QualityLogic Announces Cloud-Based Test System for OpenADR Products

Demand Response World Forum, Costa Mesa, CA – October 13, 2014 – QualityLogic Inc. (www.qualitylogic.com), the developer of the OpenADR Alliance Certification Test Harness, today announced the Cloud-Based Test System for OpenADR Virtual End Nodes (VENs) or clients, which will provide users with access to a Cloud server implementation of a certified Virtual Top Node (VTN). The system uses an OpenADR Alliance certified open source VTN released by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to serve as a reference for testing Virtual End Nodes (VENs), as a platform for running small scale pilots, or as a learning tool to increase understanding of the OpenADR technology.

The OpenADR standard facilitates sending and receiving demand response (DR) signals from a utility or independent system operator to electric customers. OpenADR signals are transmitted by VTN servers to end devices or other intermediate servers. A VEN is typically a client, such as an energy management system, a thermostat or other end device that accepts the OpenADR signal from a VTN.

Those deploying OpenADR-certified products have been seeking an easy and fast method of configuring and executing interoperability tests between VEN products and a reference VTN implementation. The new Cloud-based test system addresses this need and complements the certification of products by the OpenADR Alliance (www.openadr.org). The cloud-based test system enables the development of interoperability tests mirroring specific deployment scenarios that can be run prior to VENs being deployed in the field.

While a beta version of the EPRI VTN is available for download at no charge from Source Forge, QualityLogic has deployed the certified open source code in Amazon’s EC2 Cloud system with added benefits to subscribers. Each subscriber is provided with a unique VTN server implementation and can start using the VTN for interoperability tests without the need to download, install and configure a version in their lab. QualityLogic has added an administrative interface and is making technical support and training available for users of the Cloud-Based Test System for VENs.

The QualityLogic OpenADR Cloud Based Test System subscriptions will be available starting November 3, 2014 for a special introductory price of $100 per month, with minimum two-month subscription required. For a limited time, subscribers who complete a detailed survey about additional capabilities and features they would like to see in the Cloud-Based Test System will receive a credit for one month free usage.

QualityLogic was selected by the OpenADR Alliance to develop a conformance and interoperability test tool for OpenADR compliant products. QualityLogic is the testing partner for the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration, the largest project of its kind in the U.S. The Company offers interoperability, conformance, and certification test solutions for other Smart Energy technologies and is an active participant in Smart Grid standards activities, including the OpenADR and Bluetooth Alliance, Consortium for SEP 2 Interoperability, SGIP, GWAC, and others.